As I mentioned recently I have had a huge influx of hummingbirds in the yard since Hurricane Gustav. At busy times there are 20+ feeding and buzzing around. I currently have 5 feeders up and although their numbers have dwindled lately, I still need to refill at least 2 to 3 feeders daily.
Sometimes when a large number comes in to feed (usually in the a.m. and the evening) they start to bicker with each other a bit and clash beaks like they are sword fighting (it even makes a sword fighting sound). So, I started putting potted plants along the back porch steps to help separate the numbers.
Yesterday, I potted some plants for them to hang between the feeders. They like taking a rest on the edge of or from the chains of these hanging gardens.
They have become accustomed to my presence lately and don't fly off when I am out on the porch.
A couple days ago as I was cleaning out the screened porch I had the door propped open. One female flew in and couldn't find her way out. She started to panic and grew weak so I just slowly put my arm under her and she plopped down on it about to fall backwards and I led her out safely to a branch on the Camellia.
This morning I decided to try to hand fed them. I took their favorite feeder and held it in my hands near the other feeders. They buzzed around me for a few minutes getting so close it scared me a bit (for a moment screen shots from The Birds ran through my mind, and then paranoid thoughts that they might try to stab through my eyes, but of course they didn't). I should never watch horror movies. Instead they inspected me from top to bottom and buzzed so close it felt like little box fans with wings were surrounding me. The gusts of wind created from their
buzzing wings are strong and made the temperature around me feel a lot cooler than it was. When some would aggressively zip past my face and around my head and graze the pieces of my hair that were hanging down I felt like King Kong with all those airplanes zipping around him. But finally one brave female perched and started drinking the sugar water. Once that happened, they all followed.
I stood out there for almost a half of an hour and hand fed the little hummingbirds. The best part is when they would land and just cock their head to the side and look at me inquisitively, watching me for a bit in lieu of feeding.
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I have been working all week to remove the tree debris in the back and was able to mow about 1/3 of it today. There is still a lot left though. I think it is just a very time consuming and labor intensive process: Cut down large branches, bring them to the pile in the front, pick up anything that could break the lawnmower and also hand pull very very long pieces of woody plants that are too thick for the lawnmower etc...
Back to the yard for me..
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2 comments:
You have officially become Snow White, surrounded by animals as the birds perch on your fingers! Or am I more reminded of the animated sequence in "9 To 5" with Lily Tomlin? Please tell me you know what I'm talking about!? :)
lsapacey-
Ha! Yes I know what you are talking about and just re-watched it on you tube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIEv055KpY0
Funny you brought 9 to 5 up too, I just heard a piece on the radio about the new Broadway play of 9 to 5 and Dolly was on talking about it. I loved Dolly Parton and that movie, and that song, as a kid. It made me want to go out a rent a copy of it.
And to be honest I was livid when I found those piles of Oak pieces and branches and maybe while not wanting to actually kill the person who did it, I was thinking of revenge (which subsided once I calmed down and decided to leave it to Karma).
:)
Amy
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